If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Does anyone know how to make a organic pesticide using household products?
You see a while back I planted a tree in the back garden and after constant watering and pruning it's beginning to look pretty good.
But recently something is eating the leaves I'm not certain what's doing it but I'm pretty sure it's ants, I tried cinamon around the base of the trunk because I know some of you use that to keep the ants away from the hive but it's not keeping them of the tree.

If you have some hot peppers, you can mash or cut them up and steep or boil in water. Then put that in a sprayer and spray the foilage. Garlic works well too. I read an old research article that showed Garlic as effective as DDT for crop protection. It does need reaplication after rain. Once you break the initial attack on a plant the insects generally move on. I usually only have to spray plants 1 - 3 times. I have some brussel sprouts that I let insects go too long on and now no amount of spraying anything well help.

It also depends on the bug you are trying to control. For my houseplants I use a few different sprays to control bugs. For mealybugs and scale: some rubbing alcohol, hot pepper and dish soap. for fungus gnats: alcohol, soap and ammonia as a soil drench. Garlic, hot pepper and soap are a good starting point for any bug IMO.

If they're leafcutter ants, they make a scent trail (like most ants but more militantly followed) that you might be able to disrupt in the morning when they've wound down. Break the trail up for a good 8 to 10 feet and cover the scent all around with some of the preparations described here; maybe even a moat.

Some years ago I had a discussion with a guy who was making an organic spray for his apples using rhubarb leaves. Apparently would pick the leaves and add water. Bring to a boil to cook them down, strain and spray his trees with the residue. Hope that helps.

A bunch of the homemade pesticides call for dish washing soap as it disrupts the insects ability to breathe and gives them diahrea (sp?) so I add it in all of my recipes. About two tablespoons per quart of water. For soft sided insects, two tablespoons of Listerine mouthwash/pint of water works wonders (high alcohol content drys up their evil little bodies). Another good one uses a pouch of UNUSED chewing tobacco steeped in water like sun tea. Filter through a coffee filter and spray. The nicotine is a VERY effective poison. A shame that you can't use a spitcup but by then, you have already removed the nicotine. Note: as with those listed above, has to be re-applied after every rain.

if they are crawling insects and they leave the tree at night or only come at noght sticky tpe around the trunk will stop them. soap used in insect sprays is usualy a surfactant allowing the ingredients that don't mix well to travel together in the water. hot pepper sprays work well with some insects murphys oil soap will help also. Check out WWW.nationalhomegardeningclub.com

Sundance beat me to it. Check out Jerry Baker. He also does radio programs and has a variety of mixtures. I have a few of his books. He's not just an "organic" like me; he actually cares about green yards and fancy flowers, too.

Just to add to all of the above...a tablespoon of light vegetable oil per gallon will act as a spreader sticker for your homemade concoctions and help them to hold up to a bit of dew or light rain. Won't wash off so easily.

Reminder...test a small area for phototoxicity before coating the whole plant.